Winooski River
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The Winooski River is a tributary of Lake Champlain, approximately 90 miles (145 km) long, in northern Vermont in the United States. Although not Vermont's longest river, it is one of the state's most significant, forming a major valley way from Lake Champlain through the Green Mountains towards (although not connecting in drainage to) the Connecticut River valley.
The river drains an area of the northern Green Mountains between Montpelier and Burlington. It rises in Washington County north of Montpelier, then flows southwest to Montpelier, passing through the city along the south side of downtown and the Vermont State House. From Montpelier it flows northwest into Chittenden County past Richmond, passing north of the city of Burlington. It enters the eastern side of Lake Champlain approximately 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Burlington. The city of Winooski sits along the river approximately 8 miles (13 km) upstream from its mouth, on the eastern edge of Burlington. The river was historically used for the transportation of timber during the logging heyday of Vermont during the 19th century. The valley of the river downstream from Montpelier is used for the route of U.S. Highway 2 and Interstate 89.
The river is one of several antecedent rivers in Vermont which predate the rise of the ancient Green Mountain range, and have cut through these mountains as they rose and eroded.
The river is used for a variety of purposes. It is popular for recreational uses such as canoeing, kayaking, fishing and, for the intrepid, swimming. Additionally, a number of hydroelectric dams are used for generating electricity.
Celebrate the Winooski River!, an eclectic, grass-roots, artistic extravaganza and educational experience was launched in 1997 by a consortium of several organizations, poets and artists. The annual event ebbs and flows each year; but usually contains a river cleanup, festival, music, and education projects that calls attention to the area’s rivers and engages the community in active participation in their enhancement. Tons of tires and junk pulled from the Winooski River during community and school clean ups is in turn made into fanciful sculptures that are displayed in Montpelier, and highlighted in the culminating parade.
The name Winooski is derived from the Abenaki word meaning "wild onions". The river was called the Onion River for a period during the 19th century.
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